By Danjuma Amodu
Nigeria and China are exploring ways to convert their growing cultural ties into commercial gains in film, with stakeholders pushing for co-production, technology transfer and cross-border distribution to unlock access to two of the world’s largest audiences.
The renewed push was highlighted at the Chinese Film Screening in Nigeria 2026 in Abuja, where filmmakers said combining Nigeria’s storytelling strength with China’s cinema infrastructure, capital and distribution network could significantly expand the global reach of both industries.
The event coincided with the 23rd Abuja International Film Festival, which this year received 10 Chinese film entries, five of which were nominated for awards.
Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, Mr Yang Jianxing, said film has remained a vital bridge for people-to-people understanding between both countries.
“China and Nigeria share a deep-rooted traditional friendship and close people-to-people exchanges, and film serves as an important bridge for fostering mutual understanding between our peoples,” Jianxing said.
He noted that collaboration has expanded through reciprocal screenings, professional exchanges and distribution of productions, including Chinese films dubbed or subtitled in local languages such as Hausa.
Jianxing credited the partnership between the Chinese Embassy, the China Cultural Centre and StarTimes Nigeria for bringing Chinese productions to Nigerian audiences through initiatives such as a month-long showcase and the Chinese Women’s Film Festival. He added that Nigerian films have also reached mainstream Chinese digital platforms.
Founder of the Abuja International Film Festival, Fidelis Duker, said engagements with the Chinese delegation focused on practical business opportunities in production, distribution and co-production, including planned meetings with distributors and cinema operators in Lagos.
“What we found out today, or what we’ve known over the years, is that China has technology,” Duker said, noting that the Chinese delegation disclosed that China sold 1.3 billion cinema tickets in the previous year.
China’s film market underscores the scale of the opportunity. According to the China Film Administration, the country generated 51.832 billion yuan in box-office revenue in 2025, with cinema attendance of 1.238 billion. Domestic films accounted for nearly 80 per cent of receipts, with 93,187 screens nationwide.
Duker said marrying both strengths could be transformative.
“When you marry Nigerian narrative vitality with China’s technical infrastructure, capital, and unparalleled distribution expertise, you can imagine” the possibilities, he said.
Chairman of Huaxia Film Distribution Company Limited, Bai Yimin, who led the Chinese delegation, said film cooperation has become a key chapter in bilateral cultural relations.
“In recent years, cooperation in the film industry has become a brilliant chapter in China-Nigerian cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” Bai said.
Three films – The Shadow’s Edge, Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert and The Lychee Road – were screened at the event.
The screening builds on recent moves to formalise creative sector cooperation, including the strategic agreement signed in August 2026 between the Nigerian Television Authority and China Movie Channel on co-production, technology transfer, training and distribution.
Stakeholders, however, noted that large audiences do not automatically guarantee commercial success, stressing the need for effective distribution partners, subtitling and dubbing, marketing, clear licensing and bankable financing structures.
For Nigeria, the challenge is to ensure creative talent earns sustainable returns beyond festival showcases. For China, deeper ties with Nollywood offers a route to expand its global reach through Africa’s most prolific film industry.
